<p>TUSCALOOSA | The students and fans in Stillman Stadium erupted with a minute left in regulation, cheering on their Stillman Tigers football team, as they closed out a nail-biter.</p><p>The Tigers defeated the Central State Marauders 35-33 on Thursday night. </p><p>Safety Cameron Stallings denied Central State wide receiver Zach Thomas on a two-point conversion and a possible overtime.</p><p>“I knew it would be a big stop for us, because they were down by two and they needed that,” Stallings said.</p><p>Stallings said the team understood they could not afford to play extra minutes with a solid team like the Marauders, and had to capitalize on finishing the job.</p><p>Both teams went back-and-forth in the opening four drives to start first quarter. </p><p>Tigers quarterback Torrance Moise connected with wide receiver Dondre Purnell on a 4-yard pass to put Stillman on the board early.</p><p>The Marauders responded quickly, as quarterback Michael Wilson ran up the middle, through the Tigers defense, to tie it at 7-7.</p><p>Purnell gave the Tigers an advantage on its second possession, returning a punt to the Marauders' 39-yard line.</p><p>Seeing scoring territory within reach, wide receiver Jalen Hooks ran for a 1-yard touchdown with 6:27 left in the first quarter.</p><p>Wilson controlled the tempo for the Marauders and finished their second drive of the game, running 3 yards for a score to tie it again, 14-14.</p><p>“He (Wilson) is a good quarterback and hard to stop,” Stillman coach Teddy Keaton said.</p><p>Keaton said Wilson's strong point was cutting to the right and being successful each time.</p><p>After a battle-tested start, both defenses locked up, forcing each side to punt for the first time in the quarter.</p><p>Safety Robert Crosby led the way for the Tigers defense in the first 15 minutes of play with four tackles.</p><p>Linebacker Michael Herrod and cornerback Carlos Wilson followed behind Crosby with three of their own.</p><p>For the Marauders defense, linebacker Blake Riley totaled five tackles.</p><p>With each team increasing the intensity to start the second quarter, Marauders kicker Dustin Bryan converted a 42-yard field goal at the six-minute mark to make it 17-14.</p><p>Running back Rovonta Johnson answered for the Tigers and ended the half on a 2-yard scoring run.</p><p>Johnson said coming off of last week's difficulty in the red zone, the Tigers did a better job this game in converting.</p><p>“For Coach Keaton to come this week and trust us again and let me get the ball, I love that,” Johnson said.</p><p>Johnson scored another touchdown on a 4-yard run with 4:12 in the third quarter and finished the game with 10 rushes for 32 yards.</p><p>As the clock wound down in the third, cornerback Greg Abrams made an interception that gave the momentum back to the Tigers entering the fourth quarter.</p><p>“Greg has played well all year and it was a huge play,” Keaton said</p><p>Tight end Sturgis Reese got into the action midway in the quarter and scored off of a 55-yard pass from Moise, putting the Tigers up 35-27.</p><p>The Tigers finished with 156 rushing yards and 201 passing yards.</p><p>With this being a short-week, they will have extra time to prepare for Miles on Nov. 2 and Keaton said it will be another tough match-up.</p>